Type-writing machine.



G. VOELKER.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. I9I3.

1,163.,0Q8. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

GEORGE VOELKER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Original application filed November'23, 1909, Serial No. 529,573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE VoELKnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, this application being a division of an application filed November 23, 1909, and serially numbered 529,573.

My invention relates to retarding or speed controlling mechanism or braking devices for typewriting machines, and one of its several objects is to provide novel and improved means of connecting the retarding or braking devices with the traveling element or carriage. enabling said devices to be rendered effective without shock or jar.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for regulating the braking effect.

To the above and other ends my invention consists of devices and arrangements of parts, hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in claims.

My invention as shown herein is embodied in a Remington front strike typewriting machine and in connection with tabulating mechanism of the kind found in Remington machines, but it is to be understood that the said invention may be applied to other makes of machines and tabulating devices.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a Remington machine, embodying my invention, parts of the machine being omitted and parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the retarding devices and key-mechanism, also escapement and re leasing mechanism, all in operative position. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the key for operating the retarding mechanism. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front view of the front bar of the carriage showing the slotted connection with the carriage of the carriage brake member or friction rod. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the regulator of the braking effect. Fig. 6 is a sectional end view of the front bar of the carriage showing the carriage brake member in the slotted lug.

Referring to Fig. 1, wherein the invention Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1915. Divided and this application filed March Serial No. 753,470.

is shown in its normal state, the main frame of the machine comprises a base 1, post 2, and a top plate 3 on which are trackways 4 and 5, cooperating through antifriction balls 6, with the carriage 7, in which is mounted a platen 8.

Pivoted in lugs 9 on the rear bar 7' of the carriage, are arms 10 to which is secured a feed rack 11, said rack being normally maintained by the spring 12 in mesh with a feed pinion 13 which is operatively connected with escapement wheels 14, through a shaft 15, said shaft having bearing 16 supported in the main frame of the machine.

The usual release lever 17 is fulcrumed in the carriage at 18 and is adapted to lift the rack 11 and thus release the carriage.

The escapement wheels 14 cooperate with a dog controlled by the printing keys to control the letter feed movements of the carriage as is well understood.

The carriage is constantly urged leftward by a spring drum 19 connected by a strap 20 to the right hand end of the carriage or truck underneath the platen. The spring drum is mounted in the main frame and rotates about the shaft 21. A. tabulator key 22, which is one of the regular keys, of which there are five, has its finger piece enlarged, as shown in Fig. 1 and comprisesa shank 23, slidable up and down in fixed guides 24. A bell crank 50 is provided with a restoring spring 51 for restoring the parts after a tabulating operation. Rod operates a carriage stop not shown. The tabulator key 22 is operative not only to project its associate denomination stop (not shown) but also to release thecarriage from its escapement devices and permit it to be drawn freely leftward for a tabulating run under the pull of the spring drum.

The releasing devices comprise a bail or universal bar 52 having upwardly extending arms or cars 53 fulcrumed at 54, said bar 52 being arranged behind the bell crank 50, and operative by said crank to push rearward a link 56, connected at itsrear to a crank arm 57 fixed to a rock shaft 58. i Also 1 fixed to said rock shaft is an angular arm 59, which is connected to an upwardly extending link 25. At its upper end said link or rod 25 is pivotally connected with a fulcrume d lever 26, mounted on the main frame and carrying rotatably at its forward end with the key 31.

a small gear 27 adapted to mesh into the rack =11 and lift it when said lever 26 1s rocked on its fulcrum 28 through the depression of keys 31 and22. When the rack is lifted the feed-pinion 13 becomes disen- V gaged from the rack and the carriage'is released to move freely in the direction ofits feed. The lever :26 is shown slightly modified in design from that used in the No. 10 Remington machine but the mechanical principle involved is the same. The rotary retarder of the Remington machine attached to the lever 26, isnot shown in the drawings.

1 In order to keep the drawings simple, other modifications in design may .be found in the drawings, but tl'iesame general principles employed in the Remington machine have been followed throughout.

Gooperatively arranged over key 22- and slidably mounted in a bracket 29 on the post 2,-is an auxiliary key v31, having a stem 30. The stem 30' consists ofa squared shank 3. fitted slidably into the bracket 29, a threaded portio-n'32 having fitted around it threaded cup nut 33, which may be screwed lengthwise of the stem and which contains in its cup portion a helical springS-l: surrounding said stem and abutting against said nut and said bracket. The upper portion of said stem is fitted with a loosely slidable collar 35 having a pierced ear 36, to which is connected a flexible cord, strap or chain 37. A button surmounts the top of the stem and serves as an abutment for a helical spring 38 which rests with its other end on said collar 35.

The rod 47, to be hereinafter described, and the spring 38, cord strap or chain 37, and co-llar 35 form 'a chain of connections Moreover, the spring 38, the cord strap or chain 37 and the collar 35 constitute a flexiblefelastic and yielding element or means connected to the key 31.

"Referring to 'thedrawings (Fig. 1) the front bar 7 of the carriage is provided with a downwardly projecting lug 39 preferably integral withthe bar, said lug being so 10- catedon the bar, as to bring it in close proximity to retarding devices 40 and 4-1, when the carriage is at its extreme right hand position. i p

The lug 39-is pierced by a slotted hole 42 having its long axis vertical and adapted to receive loosely a wire which may be deslender carriage brake member or friction rod &3. The carriage brake member is con trolled in the lug 39 by the parts 45 and 44 so that it is parallel to the trackways 4 and 5 and is movable in an up and down direction.' Thus the connection between the carriage and the carriage retarding devices 40 and 41 will yield to a downward pull on the carriage brake member 43.

braking effects or sticking of the carriage.

To further avoid uneven braking I employ the slender and more or less flexible carriage brake member so that it will yield to irregularities infriction surfaces that may be pressed against it. Further, 1 provide surplus space in the slotted hole (Fig. (5) so that the brake member 4-3 can move slightly in the lug 39 in a direction vertical to the trackways i and Thus the carriage brake member can be moved in any direction in a vertical. plane fore and aft of the machine, to compensate for inaccuracies due to wear or faulty construction.

I have slotted the hole 4-2 to give the carriage brake member more leeway vertically than in other directions, because the carriage becomes loose from wear in the trackways, and sags in its travel to the extreme right or left, in which positions it overhangs the main frame and establishes a leverage in the trackways.

The retarding devices -10 and ii are arranged on the top plate 3, and opposite one another so that the carriage brake member 43 passes between them. The friction blocks 40 are stationary on the top plate 3 and are grooved parallel to the traekway 4- at T6, to conform to the shape of the carriage brake member which slidably fits into said groove, its flexibility permitting it to yield to any inaccuracy in said groove. The retarding device or friction block i1, which operates between blocks 4-0, is shown integral with a rod -17 having a turnbuckle or screw adjustment %8 midway its length, for the purpose of lengthening or shortening said rod at will. The block 11 is bored to receive slidably and revolubly the carriage brake member 43, the bore being perpendicular to the rod 1:7. The lower end of the rod terminates in an eye t8 to which is attached the cord, strap or chain 37.

It will be noted the rod 47 passes through a hole 49 in the top plate, its friction block 41 straddling the carriage brake member above the top plate, the other end of the rod having eye connection with the chain 37 as hereinbefore described.

The friction blocks 40 and 41 constitute retarding means and may be termed pres sure applying or clutching means. since they are caused to press or grip between them the carriage brake member 43.

When the key 31 is depressed the chain of connections between block etl and said key are stretched taut and thereby the block 41' is pulled downwardly against the carriage brake member and the latter downwardly against the friction blocks 40.

'Ihe retarding devicesmay be described as comprising an element connected with the carriage and therefore moving when the carriage moves and adapted to be clutched, and a clutching element, cooperating with the first named element to retard the carriage.

In operation, the key 31 is depressed until the cup nut 33 reaches the position shown in Fig. 2. In this position, the releasing of the carriage from the feed pinion 13 and the compression of the spring 38 occur simultaneously, the chain, cord or strap 37 having been previously drawn taut by the downward movement of the key. The key is now depressed the balance of its stroke, until the nut rests upon the bracket 29, when the spring 38 will have become compressed the maximum amount which the turnbuckle (having been previously set) will permit.

It will be noted that the maximum pressure is on the carriage brake member at the time when it is most desired, which is, at or near the end of the travel of the carriage, where it will assist in preventing rebound of the carriage when it strikes the tabulator stop.

The key 31, it will be noted, cannot be depressed without actuating the key 22 under it which in turn, will cause, through the actuation of a chain of mechanism hereinbefore described, the raising of the feed rack 11 out of engagement with the feed pinion 13 thereby releasing the carriage.

Since the movement of the friction blocks is less in extent than the movement of the key, the connections between the retarding devices and the key, must be such as will delay direct action on the carriage brake member, until the key shall have traveled to the point of releasing the carriage.

he flexible element 37 which is normally in a slack or relaxed state (the amount of slack being controlled by the screw adjust ment 4:8) constitutes a means for delaying action on the carriage brake member, at the will of the operator. Thus the retarding mechanism may be set to become effective at different points in the travel of the carriage after it is released. 7

By the adjustment of nut 33, is controlled the extent to which key 31 may be depressed. The screw adjustment or turnbuckle 48 constitute a means for regulating the braking effect on the carriage.

It will be understood, 7 that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a braking device for power-driven carriages of typewriting machines, the combination with a comparatively long brake member on the carriage, of a plurality of friction blocks, and'means to cause the said brake-member to be clutched between the friction blocks. a V

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a power-driven carriage, of opposed fistationary and movable friction blocks, a yielding carriage brake member carried between the friction blocks, said carriage brake member and friction blocks being relatively movable, and a key to press the movable friction block against the carriage brake member and force the latter against the stationary friction block.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation with a power-driven carriage, of a pair of opposed friction blocks, a yielding carriage brake member between the friction blocks, and means to press one of the friction blocks against the carriage brake memher and force it against the opposite friction block.

4:. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a power-drivencarriage, of a braking member on the carriage, and opposed movable and stationary friction blocks on the machine frame between which the braking member travels.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a power-driven carriage, of a braking member on the carriage, opposed braking friction blocks on the machine frame between which the braking member travels, one of said friction blocks being shiftable, and means to press the shiftable friction block against the braking member and engage the latter with the opposite friction block.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a releasable carriage, key-actuated releasing means therefor, retarding clevices having a key adapted to cooperate with said releasing means, and a train of connections including a yielding means, connecting said retarding devices with said key.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a releasable carriage, carriage releasingineans, retarding devices comprising an element adapted to be clutched, and connected with the carriage, and an element adapted to clutch said first named element, a train of connections including a yielding means, said connections extending from said last named element to the key board, and a key connected with said train of connections and adapted to actuate said releasing means when it is depressed.

8. In a typewriting machine, in combination with the frame of the machine, the can riage, and releasing means for the carriage, of an engageable member movably supported on the carriage, engaging mechanism to retardingly engage said engageable memb eiy said mechanism being held in the frame of the machine to resist the movement of the carriage, a key, and flexible connections including a yielding element, between said key and said engaging mechanism for the purcomparatively long, slender wire or rod mounted onthe carriage, a clutchingmemleer movably supported on said wire or rod,

a clutching element on the frame of the machine to coact with said movably supported clutching member, and a key-actuated train of connections operatively connected with said movably supported clutching member and cooperating with said carriage releas ing means for the purpose of releasing the carriage and for causing said movably supported clutching member and said clutching element on the frame of the machine to coact to elfect a retardation of the carriage.

'10. In a typewriting machine, in combination with a releasable carriage, and releasing means therefor, of retarding devices, a key,'and elastic and flexible connections normally in relaxed state and extending from said retarding devices to said key, said elastic and flexible connections being drawn taut for the purpose of rendering the retarding devices effective and to release the carriage through the depression of said key.

11. In a typewriting machine, in combination with a releasable carriage, and releasing means for the carriage, of a comparatively long, flexible wire or rod carried by the carriage, friction mechanism in the frame of themachine and constantly in contact with said wire or rod, and key-actuated means for simultaneously actuating said friction mechanism and releasing the carriage.

12. In a typewriting machine, in combination with a releasable "carriage, and releasing means having akey, of carriage rctarding means, and a key adapted to cooperate with said first named key for the purpose of releasing and retarding the carriage, said key being operatively connected with said retarding means.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a releasable carriage, of retarding devices and releasing mechanism for the carriage, two keys, one mounted over the other, the lower key projecting in advance of the upper so that it may be depressed independently of the other, and means, through which the depression of the upper key will cause. the retarding devices and releasing mechanism to be actuated.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a releasable carriage, a carriage brake, and releasing means for the carriage, of a main key for actuating said releasing means and an auxiliary key adapted to co act with said main key and having operative connection with said carriage brake.

15. In a typ'ewriting machine, the combination with a releasable carriage, of retarding devices, releasing mechanism, keys at the key board for said retarding devices and said releasing mechanism, and a train of connections including a controlled yielding means between the retarding devices and one of said keys.

16. In a typcwriting machine, in combination with a releasable carriage, and retarding devices for the carriage, of a key, and a train of connections between said key and said retarding devices, said. connections including flexible element such as a chain, and an elastic element, said two elements being adapted to coact with said retarding devices to retard the carriage when said key is depressed and the carriage is released.

17. In a typewriting machine, the'combination with a carriage, of a comparatively long and flexible brake member on the carriage, and a plurality of friction surfaces constantly contacting with said brake memher, said friction surfaces being controlled by a key to clutch said brake member be tween them, when said key is depressed.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a releasable carriage and releasing means for the carriage, of a braking member on the carriage, opposed movable and stationary friction surfaces between which said braking member travels, a key arranged to cooperate with the releasing means for the carriage, and means controlled by said key for pressing said friction surfaces against said braking member,

said means including mechanism for regulating the braking effect.

19. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the carriage, of a braking member, oppositely disposed friction blocks bctween which said braking member travels, and key-operated means to cause said bra king member to be clutched between said friction blocks, said key-opcrated means including a threaded device for regulating the braking effect.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination with releasable carriage, of retarding devices, a loose connection between said retarding devices and the carriage, and keyactuated means for releasing the carriage and rendering said retarding devices eii'ee tive by a single depression of said key.

21. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a releasable carriage, of retarding devices, a loose connection between said retarding devices and the carriage, a key, and yielding connections between said rctarding devices and said key for the purpose of releasing the carriage and rendering the being mounted to coaot with said tabulator retarding devices effective. mechanism when the key is depressed. .w

22. In a typewriting machine, the combi- In testimony whereof I affix my signanation with a releasable carriage, and tabuture in presence of two witnesses.

lating mechanism, of key-actuated retard- GEORGEVOELKER.

ing devices having a loose connection with Witnesses:

the carriage, and elastic connections between KATE BAKER,

said key and the retarding devices, said key BERTHA WILLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

